Dáil debates

Thursday, 13 February 2014

10:30 am

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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12. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the dedicated stroke unit in Cork University Hospital; when this unit will be open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6795/14]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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There is much concern about the delay in opening the stroke unit in Cork University Hospital. I understand a date has been set but I want to get confirmation from the Minister that this is the case and that the unit will open without further delay.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I look forward to going to Cork but I will have to get a passport from the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, before I set foot in Cork.

Cork University Hospital provides a full, comprehensive range of stroke related services, including neuro-radiology, which includes intra-arterial thrombolysis. In plain language that means administering a drug to break up a clot causing the blockage. Other services will include acute neurology and elderly care medicine. To enhance this service delivery further, the executive management board allocated a ward to provide a dedicated stroke unit. Funding was provided by the national clinical stroke programme to enable some infrastructural upgrade on the ward.

To develop further the multidisciplinary role within the stroke service in CUH, the clinical programme also provided the necessary funding to recruit the following staff: one full-time clinical nurse specialist for stroke care, a 0.5 whole-time equivalent speech and language therapist, and a 0.5 whole-time physiotherapist. I am advised by the HSE that the infrastructural upgrade of the ward has been completed and that the staff for the unit have been recruited. The hospital is putting the final measures in place to open the stroke unit which will provide 12 beds for the stroke service. The opening is scheduled for Monday, 10 March 2014.

The HSE national clinical care programmes provide a national, strategic and co-ordinated approach to a wide range of clinical services. The objective of the stroke clinical programme is to provide rapid access to high quality stroke services, to save lives and to prevent strokes. The Deputy may be interested to note that I prioritised an improvement in thrombolysis rates and a target was set to increase the rate of safe thrombolysis from 1% to 7.5% by the end of 2013. I am pleased to say the HSE has recently reported a national stroke thrombolysis rate of 10.5% for the third quarter of 2013, which exceeds targets and is comparable to rates internationally. I am informed Ireland has moved from the bottom of the European league table to the very top in an 18 month period. This is having a real impact on patient safety and quality of life. Access to safe stroke thrombolysis is provided in 23 hospitals throughout the country, 24 hours, seven days a week. Ambulance access protocols are also in place whereby acute stroke patients are taken to the nearest hospital providing around-the-clock thrombolysis.

This is what the health service is supposed to do which is delivering better outcomes for patients. This is a very clear example of how the men and women who work in our health service have achieved that.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for that very good news that the unit will open on 10 March. Has he information on how many patients will use that unit? Will the Minister personally perform the opening ceremony on 10 March?

10:40 am

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I would not have that level of detail available to me here but I know that in the past, we talked about saving one life per week and avoiding three people per week going into long-term care as a consequence of this initiative. Those figures have almost doubled and I look forward to an ever-increasing number of people receiving better outcomes from our health service, specifically in this area. In the past, a stroke very much brought a close to the kind of life people were able to lead. My father suffered a stroke and was left blind for the remaining 14 years of his life. The advent of this technology and service is something which is real and tangible and to the betterment of our people and our service.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister.